Chapter 3- Meeting the Family
Qiu Chen sat down ignoring all the mocking eyes and sneering voices. First thing he had to do was to change his seat. Qin Shui might be able to stand this green tea bitch, but he couldn't. After a few minutes Tang Feng also came.
"A-Shui, are you okay?"
Qiu Chen looked at the 'concerned' face of Tang Feng. He sneered in his heart, "such a white lotus". But he ignored him according to the character setting.
"Hey, why are you not replying? He is being so good to you, what are you being so rude for!" Chang Shi, a lapdog of Tang Feng scolded Qiu Chen.
"Because he is an asshole!" another lapdog sneered. The whole class laughed at it.
People, they'll never hesitate to throw a stone at you when you're in the mud. But they forget that the strongest buildings are made of stones.
Qiu Chen said nothing, took out his book and started reading.
Chang Shi tried to scold him more but the teacher came at this time. So the students went back to their seats.
Qin Shui, although wasn't a study god, he was at least a decent student. All the grades he achieved were achieved through his own effort. He was unable to look at someone else's paper and copy it. "Too honest" Qin Chen thought. But the situation now is quite unfavorable as even the teachers started to look at him through tinted glass.
After the class, Qiu Chen went to the administrator's office to request for a different seat. In this university students' seats were arranged according to their results. If any student wanted to change their seat, they had to apply to the administrator and show a reasonable cause.
As Qiu Chen entered the administrator's office, he saw a person he didn't think he would meet here.
"Big brother!" Qiu Chen cried.
It is Qin Shing, Qin Shui's elder brother and the new President of Qin Corporate.
Qin Shing just looked at him, frowned and then turned back to continue talking to the administrator.
"Does your university do nothing about rumors?"
Administrator Fu was already sweating when he heard Qiu Chen calling Qin Shing big brother. He never assumed the quite bullied boy to be the second young master Qin.
"The school can't take any action unless it goes to some extreme level" he helplessly replied.
"Well, then we can also take actions here and there unless it goes to some extreme level?"
Administrator Fu's face paled.
"Don't be afraid, we are law abiding citizen" Qin Shing suddenly smiled.
Seeing him smiling a chill went down Administrator Fu's spine. Who doesn't know when this cold unsmiling god smiles it means someone is going to have really bad luck.
"You come home with me" this sentence was directed to Qiu Chen. He followed Qin Shing with a blank face.
Qiu Chen was lost in thought. Qin Shui always thought that his family was ashamed of him for the rumors. That's why he never reached out to them. He didn't know his big brother came to the university for him. He silently bore all the grievances himself. Qiu Chen felt pity for the poor boy.
"My brother is really handsome" Qiu Chen looked at 190cm tall and well-built man. He followed him to the car.
Entering the car Qin Shing silently looked at Qiu Chen, his aura intimidating.
"I didn't cheat!" Qiu Chen made puppy eyes.
Qin Shing felt like he suffered a great blow in his heart by those eyes. His brother was always silent, be it any social gathering or family dinner. He never talked about the family outside, and even moved out to live alone in a small shabby apartment. He also worked part time to support himself. The family always thought he wanted to depend on himself, thus never interfered in his life. But that doesn't mean they'll see him get bullied.
"If you didn't cheat why didn't you make yourself clear?"
"They wouldn't believe me either way!" Qiu Chen pretended to be lost.
Qin Shing felt helpless, "Why didn't you go home?"
"You guys want me to go home? You want to send me away so I don't embarrass you?" Qiu Chen blurted out what the original always had in his heart.
Qin Shing was stunned, "Where did you get that from?"
Qiu Chen stopped talking and looked out of the window. Qin Shui was always timid. But the reason lies with the family. Growing up he never saw his busy parents. Qin Shing is older than him by ten years. So, when he was a kid, Qin Shing already started learning company affairs. He had no one to accompany him at home. Although there were several nannies and servants, they were not his family after all. He grew up not talking to anyone, and gradually a belief that his family didn't like him formed in his heart. Qiu Chen sighed, he has too many things here to fix.
"Xiao Shui, look at me." Qin Shing called but Qiu Chen continued looking out of the window.
Qin Shing sighed and tried to reason with his brother, "We never thought you would embarrass us. We want you complain to us like a normal child would do."
"So this is what actually think of me? 'Not normal'? But do you people have time to listen?" Qiu Chen doesn't know why he teared up. May be it's the original owner's grievances affecting him.
This complaint left Qin Shing speechless. Had they neglected the child too much to make him alienate from them? He felt pained seeing the tears on his brother's face but didn't dare to wipe it for him. What if he makes him feel more uncomfortable?
The car entered the Qin family mansion. It's an elegant European style mansion colored white.
Qiu Chen could bet that no one of his university would have expected him to live here. In their eyes he was just a poor student fighting for his life.
The car reached the huge wooden door of the mansion. Without waiting for the car to stop completely Qiu Chen jumped down from the car and ran towards the stairs completely ignoring the two people waiting in the living room. His tear soaked face made him look aggrieved.
Qin parents were puzzled and looked at their eldest son in askance. Qin Shing motioned his parents to sit down and told about their conversation in the car.
"I told you we should bring him home. But neither of you listened to me. Now see what he thinks about us." Mrs. Qin, wiped her tears and said.
"We didn't want to put any pressure on him." Father Qin tried to reason.
" Your 'not putting pressure' almost caused me lose my baby's heart."
"Enough" Qin Shing felt that complaining will not help in this situation "It's not the time to think about past. Go and talk to him."
Mrs Qin told the kitchen aunt to bring some soup and went upstairs to Qiu Chen's room.
"Xiao Shui, open the door" Mrs Qin called softly, "You haven't ate anything since the noon. It's already dark outside. Don't keep yourself hungry."
The door didn't open. So, Mrs Qin could only continue persuading. "I know that you're angry with mom, but don't hurt yourself, ok?"
This time the door opened but Qiu Chen went back inside as soon as he opened the door, he didn't even look at Mother Qin.
Mother Qin felt at loss. She walked towards the bed, put the soup on the bedside table, then sat beside Qiu Chen. Facing her youngest son she found nothing she could talk about. May be Qin Shing was right, they've neglected this child too much.
Qiu Chen didn't know what suddenly happened to him, he acted on impulse and tightly hugged the person beside him, tears uncontrollably pouring down from his eyes.
Mother Qin's heart ached seeing her precious like this. "What happened, baby? Tell mom, mom will do whatever you want mom to do. Just don't cry, okay?"
"Mom, you're crying too" Qiu Chen said while choking on tears.
Mrs Qin was stunned to hear something like that, "Of course mom is crying. It hurts mom to see you like this."
"Mom, do you love Xiao Shui?"
"Of course, I do. Why do you need to ask? You are mom's precious baby." Mother Qin could only explain to the distressed child.
"Dad loves you too",Qin Zheng's awkward voice sounded not far away. The mother and son duo didn't notice when the father and son duo came.
Qin Zhen walked towards his wife and son, and out a hand on Qiu Chen's head. This somehow made Qiu Chen shed more tears. It feels like he's letting out all the grievances in his heart. All these grievances came from the original owner? He tried to believe it, but some part of him also craved for some warmth. So he selfishly nestled himself in Qin Shui's mother's arms.
"I hope it makes you feel relieved" Qiu Chen whispered to Qin Shui.
Qin Shing stood at the door with a shallow smile on his lips, but his eyes moist. He swore to himself that from now on he will extremely spoil this crybaby.
Mrs Qin personally fed Qiu Chen the the dinner which was later brought by the maids. Qin Zhen asked sitting on the couch, "Now, can you tell us what's going on in your university?"
Qiu Chen remained silent. If he talked as soon as he was asked, it will break the character.
"You can tell us everything. No one will blame you" Qin Shing coaxed the child.
Qiu Chen started talking slowly. He took breaks between his story. It took him one hour to finish saying everything during which he was coaxed several times by the three people to continue talking. He told them everything, from his falling for Bai Ling in school to the rumors in university.
Mrs Qin was furious, "How could they bully you to such level? Isn't it just liking someone? Why are they acting like you killed someone? And what's with this cheating in the exam? Don't I know my own child?"
Qin Zhen was also furious and directly ordered him not to continue living in his apartment. He told him to go to university from home.
"It's late, you have had a long day. Try to sleep." Qin parents bid farewell to their little son went to the study to discuss about the matter.
Qin Shing was still sitting on the couch, "What were you doing today in the administrator's office?"
"I went to apply for changing the seats."
"Because of the person called Tang Feng?"
"....Yes."
"Why not make him change the seats? You are positioned before him anyway!"
"They will talk more, then. And the teachers don't like me. They will be happy if I move to the back row." Qiu Chen started to sell misery.
"I'll look into this matter. You don't have to tire yourself." After trying for a few moments he still asked somewhat hesitantly, "Do you still like that person called Bai Ling?"
"No, I don't" Qiu Chen was surprised by this question. He never thought this cold and aloof big brother would care about his emotional entanglement. He mentally came to a conclusion that sending Qin Shui abroad wasn't to hide him from people but to make him relax.
"It's good then. He's quite spineless and not suitable for you. You just need to relax for now on. We'll take care of the rumors."
"Brother, don't!" Qiu Chen panicked. If he let Qin Shing do this, his mission couldn't be completed.
"Why? Reluctant?" Qin Shing thought he still hadn't let go of Bai Ling.
"No, but I want to clear the rumors rather than suppressing it." Qiu Chen patiently explained.
Qin Shing raised an eyebrow but he was pleased with Qiu Chen's decision.
"Sleep early" he couldn't help patting the child's head twice and Qiu Chen rewarded him with a bright toothy smile which caused his heart melt right away.
Locking the door after Qin Shing left Qiu Chen busied himself preparing to sleep. Meanwhile he couldn't help wonder why he felt in peace after solving the misunderstanding with the family. Was it only solving the original's grievances or he, somewhere, also craved for a caring family?
Qiu Chen fell asleep before he could finish what he was thinking.